If you live in Crowley, LA, and have recently suffered injuries in a maritime accident, don’t hesitate to call Kenny Habetz Injury Law. You have certain rights and protections under state and federal law, and our Crowley maritime accident lawyers want to help you use the legal options at your disposal and recover the money you need to get back on your feet.
For more than a decade, our firm has helped injured seamen and maritime workers demand justice after life-changing accidents off the coast of Louisiana. Our clients get to work with a highly respected litigator who has successfully won millions in benefits packages, settlement agreements, and jury verdicts.
Don’t struggle with the consequences of your maritime accident on your own. We offer a free consultation. Call us today for a free consultation at (337) 329-8883.
How Kenny Habetz Injury Law Can Help After a Maritime Accident in Crowley, LA
While every job carries risks, few jobs are more dangerous than those in maritime trades. Whether you’re a dockworker, a deckhand, a shipbuilder, or a seaman, you’re at an increased risk of suffering serious, potentially fatal, injuries while you do your job.
Your choice of legal representation matters. Choosing Kenny Habetz Injury Law puts an attorney with an expansive knowledge of federal maritime law, experience handling complex workplace injury claims, and a determined passion for justice in your corner.
You’ll be able to count on our legal team to:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into your maritime accident and identify all legal options for recovery available to you
- Enlist expert witnesses to weigh in as we draft your claim and calculate your damages
- Represent you during all hearings, appeals, court appearances, and negotiations
- Actively work to secure the best possible terms in a benefits package, settlement agreement, or jury verdict on your behalf
Over the years, we have earned many awards and recognitions, including the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Expertise.com. Additionally, with millions of dollars won for our clients, choosing to work with us is a safe bet.
Maritime litigation can be complicated. Trust a Crowley maritime injury attorney with over a decade of relative experience to make things easier for you. Our firm handles maritime injury claims on a contingency fee basis, so you don’t have to pay us unless we win.
Get started by contacting our respected Crowley personal injury lawyers to set a time for a free initial case evaluation. We’re here to take your call 24/7.
What Causes Most Maritime Injuries?
Given that the state is situated on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, it’s not surprising that an estimated one out of every five jobs in Louisiana is linked to the maritime industry in some way.
Maritime trades are inherently dangerous. According to federal statistics, the injury rate and fatality rate for maritime workers are considerably higher than the national average.
At Kenny Habetz Injury Law, we have extensive experience helping workers and families whose lives have been affected by:
- Commercial fishing accidents
- Oil rig accidents
- Drillship accidents
- Barge accidents
- Container shipping accidents
- Freight ship accidents
- Cargo ship accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Crude oil ship and tanker accidents
- Shipyard accidents
- Crane accidents
- Diving support vessel accidents
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident out on the open seas or while working in support of a maritime trade, call our Crowley law office for help. Our Crowley maritime accident attorneys can listen to your side of the story, explain what legal rights you might have as a worker, and help you pursue the monetary benefits and/or damages you deserve.
What Federal Maritime Laws Might Apply to My Personal Injury Case?
Depending on your job, where you work, and who you work for, different federal maritime laws might offer protection if you’re injured on the job.
The Jones Act
The Jones Act, or the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, protects seamen who suffer injuries on navigable vessels off the coast of Louisiana.
According to federal law, you’ll qualify as a seaman if you spend at least 30 percent of your working hours:
- On board a navigable vessel
- Contributing to the vessel’s operation
You might be classified as a seaman if you’re a sailor, diver, mechanic, deckhand, driller, or even a cook.
The Jones Act provides seamen with two potential courses of action when they’re injured on the job.
The first involves filing a no-fault claim for maintenance and cure benefits. Maintenance benefits offset your day-to-day expenses while you recover, while cure benefits pay for reasonable and necessary medical care costs.
The second gives a seaman the right to sue their employer if their injuries resulted from an unseaworthy vessel or employer negligence. Through this separate legal action, a seaman can seek economic damages for their financial losses, as well as non-economic damages for harder-to-value trauma like pain and suffering.
Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act
When you’re working in support of a navigable vessel on the high seas or an oil rig out on the Gulf of Mexico, you may qualify for benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA).
The LHWCA extends benefits to most maritime workers, including longshore workers, dock workers, harbor construction workers, and shipbuilders. Thanks to the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), LHWCA benefits are also available to oil rig workers in the Gulf of Mexico.
Similar to state workers’ compensation programs, the LHWCA allows workers to seek no-fault benefits for economic losses related to an on-the-job injury.
These benefits can include:
- Medical expenses, including hospitalization, surgery, and follow-up care
- Rehabilitation services
- Lost wages
- Travel expenses
If a maritime accident near Crowley is fatal, surviving family members may qualify for survivor benefits under the LHWCA, too.
Death on the High Seas Act
The Death on the High Seas Act gives family members the right to sue for wrongful death when a loved one is killed in a maritime accident off the coast of Louisiana. If successful, a family may be able to recover damages for the victim’s medical bills, funeral expenses, lost financial support, loss of inheritance, and other pecuniary losses.
How Much Is My Maritime Accident Case Worth?
Every maritime accident is different. Every worker will have a unique experience when they’re injured on the job. So, every worker’s legal claim for damages will be different, too.
Ultimately, the specific factors of your case will influence how much money you might be able to recover if you’re injured in a maritime accident near Crowley, Louisiana. Factors include:
- What type of maritime worker you are
- Whether you be classified as a seaman under the Jones Act
- Whether you were injured in an accident on a navigable vessel, onshore, or elsewhere
- Types of physical injuries you have sustained
- The extent of your injuries
- Your medical care
- Whether you are partially responsible for your injuries
- Whether the accident has affected your ability to work
The more severe the accident and your resulting injuries, the more you might be able to expect to recover through a legal claim for damages. Remember that some options – like claims for workers’ compensation benefits – offer limited financial awards. In these situations, it might be important to explore additional avenues for seeking damages, like a civil personal injury lawsuit against a negligent or otherwise liable party.
How Long Do I Have to Seek Compensation After a Maritime Accident in Louisiana?
Different causes of action under state and federal law are subject to different statutes of limitations.
- The Jones Act: three years from the date of injury
- Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act: one year from the date of injury
- Death on the High Seas Act: three years from the date of a worker’s death
- Louisiana personal injury lawsuit: two years from the date of injury or wrongful death
You must file your maritime accident claim within the applicable statute of limitations. When time expires, so does your right to seek monetary compensation from an insurance company or another liable party.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Crowley Maritime Accident Lawyer
Are you struggling with broken bones, nerve damage, crush injuries, damage to your spinal cord, brain injuries, or other serious physical trauma because of a maritime accident near Crowley, LA? Now is the time to take action and fight for the money you need to get back on your feet. Kenny Habetz Injury Law can help.
Our Crowley maritime accident lawyers have over a decade of experience handling complex injury claims like yours. Powerful advocacy has allowed us to win tens of millions for our clients.
Let us make a difference in your life, too. Your first consultation is free, so contact our Crowley law office today.
